A VISION to transform the world's largest brick built warehouse into apartments, shops and restaurants is due to be approved by city planners.

A VISION to transform the world's largest brick built warehouse into apartments, shops and restaurants is due to be approved by city planners.

Proposals for the makeover of Great Howard Street's Tobacco Warehouse have been brought before Liverpool council and are expected to be given the go-ahead on Thursday.

Owner Kitgrove Ltd wants to turn the dilapidated Stanley Dock warehouse, which stands in the World Heritage Site, into duplex and triplex apartments and open up restaurants on floating decks in the dock.

The #100m plan would be carried out in two stages, starting with the demolition of the north warehouse extension and grain silo and the conversion of the remaining warehouse into 86 apartments.

Kitgrove also wants to create an area of open space with light sail sculptures and to start work to restore the northern facade of the Tobacco Warehouse.

Today Hugh Stallard of Spring4 property development, speaking for Kitgrove, said work would begin as soon as possible if consent is granted.

He said: "We'd hope to start before the end of the year, early next year at the latest.

"We're quietly confident ahead of Thursday's meeting."

The planning report says: "The development of the north warehouse would act as a catalyst for the development of the dock as a whole.

"The immediate surroundings of the north warehouse would also be addressed.

But officers raised concerns about Kitgrove's commitment to transforming the rest of the warehouse.

The report said: "The north warehouse is the most commercially viable of the three warehouses and once this is developed a scheme for the rest may not be forthcoming.

"However, the regeneration of the whole of the complex is an enormous task involving vast resources."

Kitgrove has pledged to retain as much of the original building as possible, including the roof trusses and the original low ceilings.

Planners will recommend a condition of approval would be cleaning and re-pointing to the facade of the Tobacco Warehouse as well as the replacement of all missing windows on the grade II listed building.

Liverpool Urban Design and Construction Advisory Panel said: "The scheme is based on conservative design principles which seek to work with the intrinsic qualities of the buildings."

English Heritage told planners they "strongly welcome" the outcome of the masterplan.

The plans are recommended to be approved, subject to opposition from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.